MARC LEISHMAN will join Adam Scott and Jason Day as Australia’s representatives for the 2013 Presidents Cup.

International team captain Nick Price named Leishman and Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jong as his selections to join the 10 automatic qualifiers.

“It’s exciting for us to have three Australians on the team, and for me personally, it’s huge,” Leishman said.

“It was a big goal of mine for the last few years to get on this team, relying on a Captain’s pick wasn’t ideal, but to be lucky enough for Nick to pick me was awesome.”

“We have a big month ahead of us with the rest of the Playoffs and obviously Muirfield Village in early October. So it’s definitely a lot to look forward to.”

For Price, particularly with fellow South African Tim Clark one of the contenders, the decision wasn’t easy.

“Yesterday was probably one of the toughest days of my life,” said Price.

“I had it down to three guys – Marc, Brendon and Tim Clark. To try and separate the three of them and only pick two was an exceptionally difficult task.”

“You had experience on one hand with Tim, and then you had youth in the two rookies in Marc and Brendon.”

“When push came to shove, it came down to who I felt is going to play Muirfield the best.”

Couples names Simpson and Speith

On the US side, team captain Fred Couples went for World Number 25 Webb Simpson and rising star Jordan Speith.

Speith, 20, will be the youngest player ever to represent the US in the Presidents Cup and is also the first US PGA TOUR rookie to participate.

“I’m just super stoked and happy I woke up this morning and it wasn’t a dream,” Spieth said.

He had a powerful advocate in veteran cupper Phil Mickelson who played with Speith in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship when he shot a 62 to finish fourth. The rookie played the final four holes in 5-under, including an eagle on the 18th.

The International Team will also have plenty of fresh blood with a record seven first-time players. That includes the two captain’s picks plus automatic qualifiers automatic qualifiers Louis Oosthuizen, Hideki Matsuyama, Branden Grace, Graham DeLaet and Richard Sterne.

The Presidents Cup will be held October 1-6 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.